A passive optical network (PON) can deliver voice, video and other data among multiple network nodes using a common optical fiber link. Passive optical splitters and combiners enable a number of network nodes to share the optical fiber link. Each network node terminates the optical fiber link for a residential or business subscriber, and is sometimes referred to as a subscriber premises node. A PON typically includes a PON interface having multiple, independent PON interface modules that serve multiple optical fiber links. In the case of data services, the PON interface receives data packets from an Internet service provider for transmission to network nodes. A PON interface module provides an Ethernet interface for transmission and reception of data over a particular optical fiber link that serves a group of network nodes.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), or other similar protocols, can be used to assign Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to clients represented by network nodes within a PON. For example, a network node may associate a DHCP-assigned IP address with a client represented by the node. The association of an IP address with a client exists for the duration of a lease time defined by a DHCP server, or until the client releases the IP address. In the event the PON is temporarily disabled, however, the IP address association recognized by the DHCP client and DHCP server may inadvertently be lost. In this case, the disablement may require manual intervention to reacquire the IP addresses and reestablish the association for the DHCP server and client.